Delhi University-UGC standoff: Teachers go on hunger strike

A group of Delhi University teachers in favour of the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) on Tuesday went on a 24-hour long hunger strike to protest against the University Grants Commission order for its roll back.

Members of AISA staging a demonstration demanding roll back of FYUP in front of Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday. (PTI Photo)

The teachers, under the aegis of Academics for Action and Development (AAD), alleged that the UGC's directive to DU was an "assault" on its autonomy.

"It is an attack on DU's academic freedom and autonomy by the UGC on the behest of Ministry of HRD and this hunger strike is to resist the attack on academic freedom of higher education institutions," S K Mishra, AAD's Press Secretary and Professor at DU, said.

Mishra said the outfit's president Aditya Narayan Mishra had yesterday through the media made an appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter.

Claiming all rules were followed in the introduction of FYUP, Mishra said, "The programme had been passed by the University Court, Academic and Executive Councils and then sent to the President, Visitor of the University.If no negative remark is received from him within a month, it is considered to be passed."

AAD said it will continue its fight against the UGC order.

"We have asked all in favour of FYUP to join us at University Gate No. 1 in North Campus. After 24-hour long hunger strike, we might go for relay hunger strike," he said.

Meanwhile, human resource development (HRD) minister Smriti Irani refused to comment on the FYUP tussle between DU and UGC.

"I am not in the liberty to speak," said Irani.

Earlier on Tuesday Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) had put up a notice stating deferment of admission.

The UGC had on Sunday issued a directive to DU asking it to scrap the FYUP. The order fueled criticism from some quarters that the UGC was trying to over step boundaries.

The first cut-off list for admissions to the Delhi University was supposed to come out on Tuesday.

DU students as well as aspiring students have been facing a lot of difficulties due to ongoing tiff between the UGC and the university over the FYUP.